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Sharpmaker comments

pvicenzi

pvicenzi

Basic Member
Joined
Dec 25, 2008
Messages
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I'm an old time free hander who decided to try out a Sharpmaker. So far I get great results using the stones freehanded, but can't quite seem to get my knife sharp using the device as intended. Is there a learning curve for the Sharpmaker?
 
Biggest "trick" I've found so far is just keeping the pressure very, very light and using the marker to make sure I'm not just grinding out on the shoulders a lot instead of down to the edge.
 
Watched the video twice. It does mention that it takes a few knifes to get the hang of it.
 
It only works for knives with bevels already at the correct angles. Trying to reprofile a knife on it would be a nightmare. It's awesome for touch ups though.
 
Last edited:
Komitadjie said:
Biggest "trick" I've found so far is just keeping the pressure very, very light and using the marker to make sure I'm not just grinding out on the shoulders a lot instead of down to the edge.
Click to expand...

^That's the biggest hurdle, figuring out just how 'light' the pressure must be (the answer: if you think it's light enough, go even lighter). Especially when using the corners of the rods. The corners will focus all pressure on a very small portion of the blade edge, and if it's just a little too much, the edge will either roll or chip. I think a good starting point, for calibrating pressure, is to imagine you're using the knife edge to brush some dust off of your most cherished piece of artwork. Maybe a piece that's gilded in a micro-thin layer of gold, or painted by an ancient master. Scrape just a little too hard, and it's ruined. Sounds sort of silly, but that is what reminds me to keep it very, very light.

The additional tip of using a black marker to ink the bevel, is always a good idea. That'll tell you if your knife's edge angle is appropriately matched up to the set angle of the rods, and how you'll need to adjust if it isn't.

And if the knife is very dull/blunt, you might consider using some coarser wet/dry sandpaper wrapped around the rods. Assuming you don't have the diamond rods, that's an easy and cheap way to re-establish the bevel on a very dull knife.

I'm an old time free hander who decided to try out a Sharpmaker. So far I get great results using the stones freehanded, but can't quite seem to get my knife sharp using the device as intended. Is there a learning curve for the Sharpmaker?
Click to expand...

If you're getting great results freehand, you're already ahead of the game (:thumbup:). Use that to your advantage. To me, that indicates the bevel angle might not match up with the Sharpmaker's angle settings. You're 'finding' the edge freehand, but apparently not reaching it when using the set angles. This is where the black marker can be very handy. Check where the ink comes off when you freehand it, and compare to the results when you're using the rods mounted in the base. I'd bet the edge angle is more obtuse (wider) than 40 degrees inclusive, and you're probably only touching the shoulders of the bevel when using the rods in their mounted position.
 
I use a totally different technique with good results.


[video=youtube;-MHe_8wTHmg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MHe_8wTHmg[/video]
 
Yep, I tried the marker thing and was hitting the edge.--- I started thinking , I've never been able to get the knife I was practicing with to smoothly shave hair. Just tried another knife and she's popping hair. If the knife is junk, it doesn't much matter what you use to sharpen it.
 
pvicenzi said:
Yep, I tried the marker thing and was hitting the edge.--- I started thinking , I've never been able to get the knife I was practicing with to smoothly shave hair. Just tried another knife and she's popping hair. If the knife is junk, it doesn't much matter what you use to sharpen it.
Click to expand...

That sounds familiar. I ran into that with a 'cheap' kitchen paring knife I tried to sharpen. Bought it at the grocery store. Was real easy to get the bevels looking nice & sharp, but the steel is so soft, it simply won't support a fine edge. It's a toss-up sometimes, with cheap knives. I have another imported 'Chicago Cutlery' utility knife for the kitchen, which I bought at Walmart for about $8. No idea what the steel is, but it turned out to be the first knife I was able to tree-top & whittle hair with. And it's held up pretty nicely under typical kitchen use (slicing veggies & such).

I've since started using older, worn, but well-established makes (with specifically identifiable steel, by name/type) for 'practice' knives, if trying out a new tool or method. Much more predictable, in terms of how they should perform & sharpen up. The older knives can be had on the 'auction site' or elsewhere, often dirt-cheap. So long as there's some usable blade left on them, they're perfect for 'training aids' in sharpening.
 
a few things that helped me while working with the sharpmaker:
* if your hand feels fatigue after about 10 strokes, the pressure is too much. additionally, none of your hand muscle should pain/have a sensation once the job is done. if it does, then something went wrong. the "fatigue free" technique puts the best edge.
* slow, and deliberate strokes. i can't emphasize the importance of that "deliberate". even if it you are a pro using the sharpmaker. don't let sal fool you from the video... :-) this ensures you follow the edge geometry of the knife correctly.
* correct posture - sharpmaker just below the level of your belly-button works best. stand while sharpening.

good luck.
 
I just bought a Sharpmaker, and two of the stones have defects. They're not huge, but I think they would affect their usability. I've had to request a replacement. I see on Amazon that other users have had this issue as well. I'm just glad I looked them over closely before relying on them. Not impressed so far.
 
Nice video,that is the way I started to use my sharpmaker. It is quicker especialy when using the diamond rods. I also had a problem rounding the tip until I started to use the sharpmaker the way you demondstrated. Again good video.
 
These are all great comments on the Sharpmaker. I learned that most of my knives weren't close enough to the 40 degree or 30 degree angles. Once I started using a Sharpie to mark the edge I found that I was hitting the shoulders on all of the knives I couldn't sharpen. Right now I have been using the Edge Pro and Lansky system, but really need to spend more time with the Sharpmaker based on these replies.
 
The Edge Pro and the Sharpmaker are a great combination for working knives, IMO. I use the EP to do the initial sharpening and set the bevel just below either 30 or 40, whichever is more appropriate for the steel I'm using, then use the corresponding rods on the Sharpmaker for touch-ups as needed.
 
That Sharpie trick is what saved me with the Sharpmaker- found out I was hitting the shoulder instead of the actual edge. So basically I just kept going until I reprofiled the blade (took forever - I don't have the diamond rods). Now I keep notes on which of my knives have the 30 degree, and which have the 40, to make it easier to sharpen.

Also - great video. I tried it out last night and it worked great. Makes common sense, surprised that I hadn't tried that out before.
 
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